1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a camera of the kind having a flash device arranged to pop up and down.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mechanisms of varied kinds have heretofore been proposed for popping a flash device up and down by using a motor or the like for automation of camera operations.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. SHO 62-121428 discloses a method whereby a flash device is arranged to be in a locked state under a force which urges it to pop up and to be unlocked by means of an electromagnet. This method necessitates use of some additional means for moving the flash device down. In accordance with this method, therefore, the photographer is required to manually push the flash device down in most cases. This is a shortcoming of the method in terms of automation of operation of the camera.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Nos. SHO 56-87028, SHO 59-75232 and SHO 61-259238 disclose methods for automatically popping up and down a flash device by means of a motor. In accordance with each of these applications, the flash device is arranged to be moved up and down by the rotation of the motor either in one direction or in two directions.
The cost performance of the methods disclosed by the above-stated Laid-Open Patent Applications Nos. SHO 56-87028, SHO 59-75232 and SHO 61-259238 is hardly satisfactory. The flash device is not always necessary and cannot be used in parallel with other actions such as a shutter charging action, a film winding action, etc., which are to be performed with every operation of the camera. Even if the rotation of the motor in one direction is arranged to be used for the flash device, it is difficult to have all other actions including camera charging, film winding and mirror driving, which is necessary in the case of a single-lens reflex camera, satisfactorily performed using the rotation of the same motor in the other direction. These methods, therefore, require the use of another motor. This presents a problem in terms of simplification of the camera.